MARKETING HAY THROUGH TERMINAL MARKETS. 3 



and the lack of sufficient hay to build up a permanent trade if they 

 desire to ship direct to consuming territories. Consumers who must 

 have a constant supply prefer to deal with those upon whom they can 

 depend for shipment whenever supplies are needed. The latter diffi- 

 culty has in some places been, overcome by the formation of coopera- 

 tive shipping organizations which are able to meet the requirements of 

 consumers in regard to quality and supply. 



THE BUSINESS. 



The number of cars of hay handled by country shippers varies 

 greatly. In sections which have only a small surplus a shipper 

 frequently does not handle more than 10 or 15 cars a year and these 

 in connection with some other business. In other and larger pro- 

 ducing sections a shipper may handle and ship from 100 to 500 

 cars from his immediate territory. It appears, however, that on 

 an average, 200 to 300 cars represent a good year's business for a 

 country hay shipper, unless he ships from a number of different 

 points. 



Management. 



Some time and experience are required to build up a profitable 

 shipping business. The country shipper must be in a position to 

 meet all competition and pay the producer the best market price, 

 all factors being considered. To do this he must in turn be able to 

 market the hay advantageously. Upon the solution of this problem 

 depend his success and the measure of his service to the producer. 

 If in the marketing of hay he can not render service equal to the 

 amount charged for his service he is not an economical factor in its 

 distribution. 



To market his hay successfully the shipper must first know the 

 requirements of the various available markets, as to the character 

 of hay and the size and weight of bales. Some markets pay a 

 premium for straight unmixed timothy hay; others pay as much 

 for good light clover mixed as for straight timothy. Large bales 

 weighing from 200 to 250 pounds sell at higher prices than the 

 smaller bales in some markets while in others the opposite is true. 

 In some sections hay must be " tagged " with the weight upon each 

 bale, in other sections such weights will not be accepted. The shipper 

 must, therefore, familiarize himself with all the conditions and must 

 also select honest and reliable receivers. To obtain this information 

 and experience may require several years, depending upon the ability 

 of the shipper. 



Capital. 



The capital required depends principally upon the volume of 

 business transacted. The dealer who ships only an occasional car 



